Well tool for depositing material in a well



w. K. LAYNE, SR 3,182,723

WELL TOOL FOR DEPOSITING MATERIAL IN A WELL Filed Sept. 18, 1963 Qm o 7 26 b n I i I I I 1 "2/ H i If 1 1 I I l Z y i Warren lf. Lay/749,5

INVENTOR /6 BY MM, 5 7

ATTOR/VEVJ United States Patent 3,182,723 WELL TOOL FOR DEPOSITING MATERIAL IN A WELL Warren K. Layne, Sr., 9762 Westview, Houston, Tex. Filed Sept. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 309,664 7 Claims. (Cl. 166--51) This invention relates to a well tool for depositing material, such as gravel and the like, into a well. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel tool for depositing gravel or other flowable material into the annulus around a tubular element positioned in a well bore or casing. While the preferred embodiment will be described in relation to a tool for depositing gravel, it is to be understood that the tool is likewise adaptable to use in similarly depositing other types of flowable material.

In depositing gravel in an annulus around a tubular element such as a screen, there is very little room in which to operate a tool in a well bore. Moreover, the tool must be operated from a remote location above ground.

The prior art has utilized various means for depositing gravel in such an annulus, including pumping the gravel down a string of tubing with fluid, or by mechanical activated buckets and the like. None of these have proved as successful as the instant tool which may be quickly and easily raised and lowered and positively operated.

It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide an improved graveling tool which can be operated by remote control and which can be activated by an explosive charge.

It is another objective of this invention to provide a tool of the type as above characterized including means for dispersing the gravel radially outward into the annulus surrounding a screen.

These and other objectives will be evident to those skilled in the art by the description herein.

Broadly stated, the invention comprises a cylindrical body member having a pointed bottom end in the shape of a downwardly pointing cone, and a pointed upper end in the shape of an upwardly pointed cone.

A plurality of rigid stop bars or members are secured to said body member and project upwardly therefrom. The top ends of the bars are arranged to slidably engage the lower end of a tubular container, with the slidable movement being in a generally radial direction. The bars also function to maintain a fixed axial spacing between the body member and the container.

A plurality of centralizing guide springs connect the body member to the lower portion of the container and resiliently support the body member therebelow.

The container is provided with a fragile member, such as a disk of glass, which is positioned near the bottom of the container and supports the gravel thereabove.

Explosive means in the form of an explosive charge such as a de-tonating cap is positioned adjacent to, and preferably on the top of, the disk for shattering the disk upon detonation. V

Means is also provided for detonating the charge at ice FIG. 1 showing certain details of the guide springs and stop members.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the tool is shown centrally positioned in well bore 11, which could of course be a casing. The lower end of the tool has a downwardly pointing conical shaped lower baffle 12.engaging with, seating in and sealing off the top end of a tubular element such as screen 13, which has been previously centrally positioned in the bottom of the well.

Bafile 12 is secured to a cylindrical body member 14 having an upwardly pointing conical shaped upper baffle 15 connected thereto, forming a plug or probe like body.

Four stop members 16 are circumferentially spaced around body member14 and are attached thereto by conventional means such as by welded points 22. Stop members 16 are flat rods which project outwardly from body member 14 as best seen in FIG. 2, and bottom ends 17 are tapered radially inwardly and downwardly.

Stop members 16 project upwardly from body member 14 and are formed with square ends having sharpened edges 18 which slidably contact the lower end of annular collar 19 and which are at right angles therewith.

Body member 14 is resiliently supported below collar 19 by four. guide springs shown in the form of four leaf type bow springs 2b which resiliently contact the internal surface of well bore 11 and thereby guide and centrally position the tool.

Bow springs 20 are attached at their lower ends to body member 14 and at their upper ends to collar 19 by socket head screws 21. It will be observed that the external diameter of body member 14 is smaller than the external diameter of collar 19, thus permitting body member 14 to act as a guide or a probe to slide over minor obstructions. In so doing, body member 14 can move radially with respect to collar 19 in a plane parallel with edges 18 of stop members 16, whereby stop members 16 may be radially displaced from time to time as shown in outline form.

Collar 19 is provided with a reduced annular portion 25 having external threads thereon which engage with the internally threaded lower portion of tubular gravel container 26. The upper end of portion 25 is formed with a radially inwardly and downwardly sloping annular shoulder 27 which forms a seat for a frangible member conveniently shown in the form of an annular disk 28 made of glass or the like and may be about to 4 inch thick, depending upon the weight of the gravel to be supported.

The internal diameter of container 26 is smaller than the diameter of disk 28, hence forming an internal annular recess for securing disk 28 from axial movement. Disk 28 can be positioned there during make up of collar 19 with container 26.

Positioned adjacent to and preferably secured to the top of disk 28 is an explosive means, such as an explosive charge, conveniently shown as detonating cap 29 connected to an electrical power source by lead 30. When in the position shown, disk 28 will of course support the a predetermined time as well as means for raising and FIG. 1 is a vertical side elevation view, partially in central section, showing one embodiment of the invention, as it would appear in position in a well bore or casing immediately prior to dumping of the gravel.

7 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 2-2 of column of gravel 31 thereabove. It is to be understood that gravel container 26 is provided with means for raising and lowering in the well such as a wire line (not shown) or the like.

. and center the tool so that the pointed end of lower baffle 12 seatsin the top of screen 13 in the position shown in FIG. 1.

Frangible disk 28 is then shattered or ruptured by detonation of detonating cap 29, which detonation is caused by an electrical impulse supplied via lead 30 from a power source above the surface.

With the shattering of disk 28, gravel 31 is precipitated downwardly where it strikes upper baffle .15 and is defiected radially outward and downward into the annular recess between bore 11 and screen 13. The tool is then withdrawn and reassembled with a new disk 28 and detonation 29 is filled with gravel. The procedure is repeated again until the gravel has been deposited to the desired height.

Since the tool may be operated by a Wire line, it is obvious that many trips with the tool can be made in quick order and without the necessity of a string of tubing. One particular advantage of stop members 16 is that they prevent outward expansion of springs 20 in the event of a minor obstruction in the bore or casing that may be encountered during running in.

There are, of course, many alternatives of this tool which fall within the scope of the invention. For example, collar 19 could be formed as an integral part of carrier 26 and disk 28 could be clamped or otherwise secured near the bottom of collar 19. In either event, the disk may be described as being positioned near the bottom of the gravel container and as supporting the gravel thereabove.

Moreover, disk 28 could take other shapes so long as it sealed off the gravel and prevented the flow thereof, so long as it was easilysfracturable by the explosive charge.

While the explosive charge has been described as being detonated by an electrical impulse from above grounds, other remote controls may be used as is well known to those skilled in the art.

Other modifications may be made in the invention as particularly described without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is to be construed illustrativel-y only and is not to be construed as a limitation upon the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A well tool for depositing a material in the annulus around a tubular element positioned in a well, said tool comprising:

a cylindrical body member having a downwardly pointing conical shaped lower end for seating in the upper end of said tubular element, and

an upwardly pointing conical shaped upper end for dispersing said material radially outward and into said annulus,

a plurality of rigid stop members secured to said body member and projecting upwardly therefrom and slidably engaging the lower end of a tubular container and maintaining a fixed minimum axial distance between said body member and said container,

said container being adapted to be raised and lowered in said well, y

a plurality of centralizing guide springs connecting said body member and the lower portion of said container and resiliently supporting said body member,

'said'container having a frangible member positioned near the bottom thereof for supporting said material contained therein, and V explosive means positioned adjacent said frangible member for shattering said frangible member upon detonation of said' explosive. means. 1 2. Thetool as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said frangible member is a disk, and said explosive means is an explosive charge positioned on top of said disk. 3. A graveling tool for connecting to the lower end'of a gravel carrier adapted for connection to a means for raising and lowering in a well and for use indepositing gravel in the annulus around a tubular element positioned in a well, said tool comprising:

a cylindrical body member having a downwardly pointing conical shaped lower end for seating in the upper end of said tubular element, and

an upwardly pointing conical shaped upper end for dispersing said gravel radially outward and into said annulus,

a plurality of rigid stop members secured to said body member and projecting upwardly therefrom and slidably engaging the lower end of an annular collar member and maintaining a fixed minimum axial distance between said body member and said collar member,

a plurality of centralizing guide springs connecting said body member and said collar member and resiliently supporting said body member,

means for securing said collar to the lower end of said gravel carrier,

a frangible cross member positioned between said collar and said carrier for supporting gravel contained in said carrier, and

an explosive charge positioned adjacent said frangible member for shattering said frangible member upon detonation of said explosive charge.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said guide springs are leaf type bow springs, and

said body member has an external diameter smaller than the external diameter of said gravel carrier.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said frangible cross member is in the shape of a disk,

said explosive charge is attached to the top side of said disk, and

said explosive charge being adapted to be electrically connected to a power source above the surface.

6. A graveling tool for 'connecting'to. the lower end of a gravel carrier adapted for connection to a means for raising and lowering in a well and for use in depositing gravel in the annulus around a tubular element positioned in a well, said tool comprising:

a cylindrical body member having pointed conical shaped upper and lower ends,

a plurality of rigid stop members secured around said body member and projecting upwardly therefrom and resiliently and slidably engaging the lower end of an annular collar and maintaining a fixed minimum axial distance between said body member and collar,

a plurality of centralizing bow springs connecting said body member and said collar and resiliently supporting said body member therebelow,

means for securing said collar to the lower end of said gravel carrier,

a frangible disk positioned between said collar and said carrier for supporting gravel contained in said carner,

an explosive charge secured to the top side of said disk for shattering said disk upon detonation of said explosive charge. a

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said body member has a smaller external diameter than that of said gravel carrier.

References (Jilted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,734,670 11/29 Greene 16663 2,216,038 9/40 Layne 166--l7 2,591,807 4/52 Greene 16623 2,623,595 12/52 West 16623 X 2,808,888 10/57 Teplitz 166162 2,956,624 10/60 Toelke L 166 -63 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A WELL TOOL FOR DEPOSITING A MATERIAL IN THE ANNULUS AROUND A TUBULAR ELEMENT POSITIONED IN A WELL, SAID TOOL COMPRISING: A CYLINDRICAL BODY MEMBER HAVING A DOWNWARDLY POINTING CONICAL SHAPED LOWER END FOR SEATING IN THE UPPER END OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENT, AND AN UPWARDLY POINTING CONICAL SHAPED UPPER END FOR DISPERSING SAID MATERIAL RADIALLY OUTWARD AND INTO SAID ANNULUS, 